Automatic metal feeder



April 27,1926.

. B. R. TURNER ET AL AUTOMATIC METAL FEEDER Filed June 9, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 w m n e u n 3 April 27,1926.

B. R. TURNER ET AL AUTOMATIC METAL FEEDER Filed June 9, 1925 2 Sheets-:Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 27, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,582,101 PAT NT oFFicE.

BENJAMIN R. TURNER AND ROB RT L. nieernnorirsir, on NORFOLK, VIRGINIA,

ASIG-NORS or THREE-EIGHTHS To SAID 'IURNER, THEEE-EIGHTHS To SAID nie- GINBOTHAM, AND TWO-EIGHTHS To 0. s. ABELL, OF'NOEFOLK, VIRGINIA.

AUTOMATIC METAL FEEDER.

Application filed runes, 1925. Selialhl'o. 38,014.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that we, ,BENJAMIN R.

TURNER and Ronnirr L. HIGGINBOTHAM, citizens of the United States, residing at Nor.-

5 folln in the county of Norfolk and State feeders for melting pots, especially those.

used ontypecasting machines, and the invention aims to provide" an automatic feeling device which is simple in construction and operation, convenient to install, and efficient in operation, the present invention" being an improvement over the automatic metal feeder disclosed in. our copending application; Serial No. 743,619, filed Oct. 14, 1924;

Another object of the invention is the provision of an automatic feeder of the kind indicated wherein the metal is delivered in solidform into the molten metalto be melted by contact with the molten metal, with means to automatically control the feeding of the solid metal into the pot, and the solid metal being supported from the frame of the machine so as to relieve the pot of excessiveweight and strain, and, at the same time, the. solid metal is movable with the pot.

A further object is the provision of novel means for supporting'the solid metal or material fro-m the frame or stationary part of the machine and for movement with the pot, whereby the solid material will follow the movements of the pot without burdening the pot with the weight of the solid.

material. r

A still further object is the provision of such a device comprising a novel construction and arrangement of the component elements to enhance the of the device. I

lVith the foregoing and other objects in View, which will be apparentas the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described andclaimed, it being understood that changes can be. made within the scope of what is claimed, withutility and eiiiciency out departing from the spirit of the invention. Q r I The invention is illustrated in the accorn panying drawings,: wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation'of theimproved device asinstalled. I I

Fig. 2 is an opposite side elevation, portions being broken away. 1

Fig. 3 is an elevation looking at rightangles to the lines of view in higs. 1 and 2, portions being broken away.

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail i-4 of Fig. 2.

The automatic feeding deviceis shownv as used in connection with the metal melting pot of a typecasting machine, althougn the device may be used in connection with the melting pots of other machines for which the deviceis suitable, especially if the pothas a reciprocatory motion. 7

A vertical guide 11, preferably of tubular. form, is supported above the pot 10, for the downward movement therein by gravity ofthe pigs 12 of metal or other material to be delivered t0 the pot for maintaining the level of the molten material in the pot. Said pigs are preferably of cylindrical form, and may be of any suit-able dimen sions.

The guide 11 is supported from the frame or body of the machine for movement with the pot. Thus, said guide 11 is formedwith a laterally projecting bracket '13 seated slidon the. line ably in the channel of .a clamp block 1t which has a plate 14 hinged thereto, as at 1 1, to extend across the channel and bracket 13. A clamping bolt 15 is hingedly connected with the block let opposite to the hinge 14: to engage upwardly in a slot in the plate 14; and carries a clamping nut 15 to seat on the plate lt and secure said plate down on the block 14. The plate 14-. carries a set screw 15 for securing the bracket. 13 in adjusted positionin the block 14. By loosening the set. screw 15 the bracket 13 may be adjusted in the, block 1% to position the guide 11 nearer to or farther away from the block it. By loosening the.

nut 15 and swinging the bolt 16 downwardly,'the plate l i may beswung upwardly so that the bracket 13 can be lifted out of the block 14:, thereby quicklydetaching the-guide 11.

The block 14 of the clamp is movably mounted so that the guide 11 can follow the motion of the pot 10. Thus, the block 14 is pivoted to the upper ends of parallel links 16 which have their lower ends pivoted on a base clamp 17 that engages a member 18 of the frame. Said clamp has set screws 19 to secure the clamp to the frame, and when the set screws 19 are loosened, the clamp 17 may be adjusted along the frame member 18 to adjust the guide 11 in another direction, or at right angles to the line of adjustment of the bracket 13 in the clamp. The links 16 being capable of oscillation about horizontal axes will support the clamp 14 and guide 11 for oscillatory motion, and the links provide for a parallelogram motion in order to maintain the guide 11 in vertical position as it is oscillated. By adjusting the clamp 17 on the frame member 18 to the proper position, the motion of the clamp 14 and guide 11 will be substantiallythe same as the motion of the pot 10 when it is oscillated about the shaft or pivot 10 as well known). The pot 10 has the oscillatory motion in the operation of the typecasting machine. Referring to Fig. 1, itwill be noted that when the pot 10 is swung toward the right it moves upwardly, and the links 16 will also move the guide 11 upwardly when the links are swung to the right, and when the pot and guide are swung toward the left they both move downwardly.

The guide 11 is made to reciprocate or oscillate with the pot 10 by means of a link 52 which is pivoted, as at 53, to ears 54 projecting from the guide 11, and the opposite terminal of the link 52 has apertures 55 to engage a pin 56 carried by a lug 57 extending from the pot 10. The lug 57 and pin 56 are on the melting pots of typecasting machines, so that it is only necessary to engage an aperture 55 of the link 52 over the pin 56 in installing the device. he link 52 will compel the guide 11 to move with the pot forwardly and backwardly, and the links 16 support the guide 11 so that it will have a curvilinear motion corresponding to that of the pot 10. However, the weight of the guide 11., pigs 12 and other parts is imposed on the links 16, thereby relieving the pot 10 of such weight.

The lower end of the guide 11 terminates above the molten material in the pot, and said guide has a tongue 21 projecting downwardly therefrom at one side. A dog or catch 23 is provided to grip the pig and support it in the guide while the lower portion of the pig which is submerged in the molten material in the pot is melted away, said dog or catch being below the lower end of the guide 11 but above the level of the molten material in the pot. The dog 23 is of U-shape so as to straddle the pig opposite to the tongue 21, with the terminals of the dog pivoted, as at 25, to the guide 11. The bend or loop of the dog 23 bites the pig opposite to the tongue 21, and ears 28 projecting from the dog are pivotally connected, as

at 29, to the lower terminal of a vertical rod 30 which has its upper terminal slidable through an apertured lug 31 projecting from the guide 11. A coil spring 32 surrounds the rod 30 and is confined between the lug 31 and a collar 33 secured on the rod, whereby said spring forcibly swings the dog or catch 23 downwardly to grip or clamp the pig 12 against the tongue 21.

Tripping means is provided for raising the rod 30 and dog 23 so as to remove the biting edge of the dog from the pig, in order that the pig can slide downwardly by gravity into the pot. Thus, a rock shaft 34 is journaled in lugs 35 projecting from the guide 11 below the lug 31, and a slotted arm or tappet 36 is secured on the shaft 34 between the lugs 35 and straddles the rod 30 immediately below the collar 33. The butt end 37 of the arm 36 is formed to abut the guide 11. and limit the downward swinging movement of said arm, although the arm can swing upwardly to raise the collar 33 and rod 30. A pin or arm 38 is secured to one terminal of the shaft 34 and is connected by a light coiled spring 39 with the bracket 13, to hold the arm 36 yieldingly in its lowermost position. An upwardly extending arm 40 is secured to the opposite terminal of the shaft 34, and a hook 41 is pivoted to said arm 40 to cooperate with a stationary hook 42. The shank of the hook 42 is slidable in 2. lug 43 of a member 46 which is clamped to the frame or body of the machine by a bolt 45 which is already on the machine, it only being necessary to remove the bolt 45 in order to position the member 46, and the bolt is then replaced so as to clamp the member 46 to the frame or body. The lug 43 carries a set screw 44t0 clamp the hook 42 in its adjusted position, it being noted that said hook 42 may be adjusted slidably in the lug 43 when the set screw 44 is loosened.

A hollow metal float 47 is disposed within the pot to float on the molten material, and is secured to the lower terminal of a vertical rod 48 that is slidable in ears or lugs 45) projecting from the guide 11. An adjusting cap 53 screw-threzuled on the upper terminal of the rod 48, and carries a set screw 51 to maintain the adjustment. The hook 41 of the tripper device rests on the cap 50, so that said hook is raised and lowered with the float 47 that rises and lowers with the level of the molten material in the, pot.

lVhen the pot 1O reciprocates or oscillates in the usual manner, the link 52 will more the guide 11 and pigs 12 therein with the pot, and the links 16 supporting said guide Fig. 2, so as not to interfere with the hook 42.

In operation, when thelevel of the molten material in the pot is lowered by the discharge of the material from the pot, the float -17 moves downwardly accordingly thereby permitting the hook 41. to swing downwardly. Then, as the pot reciprocates, should the hook 41 move downwardly sufficiently to catch or engage the hook 4.2, when the level of the material in the pot reaches,

a predetermined low point, the trip per device will be operated. During the meantime, the portion of the pig 12 that is submerged in the molten material in the pot is melted away, so that the lower end otthe solid metal or material is now at the level of the lVhen the hook 41 engages the hook 42, as aforesaid, and the pot 10 is moved toward the left as seen in Fig. the hook ll is prevented from moving with the guide 11. The shaft 2n moving with the guide will result in the arm 40 bein swung relatively to the guide, thereby raising the arm 36. Said arm 36 contacts with and raises the collar 33, thereby raising the rod 3'0 and dog or catch 23 against the influence oi the spring 32. The dog or catch is therefore disengaged from the pig or solid ma,-

terial and such pig will move down by gram.

ity into the pot.- This will raise the level of the molten material in the pot, and the lioat 47 being raised will lift the hook 11 during the return movement of the pot and guide, so that the hook 11 is again disengaged from the hook 42. Thus, when the pot 1t) andguide 11 move-toward the right as Seen in Fig. 2, the bill of the hook ll is moved away from the bill of the hook 42, so that the float 17 can lift the hook 41 away from the hook 1-2 after the tripping action occurs. The spring 32 now again depresses the dog or catch 23 so that it grips and holds the pig while the portion of the pig below the level of the molten material is melted away. This operation is repeated whenever the level of the molten material in the pot recedes to a predetermined low level, and the supply of solid metal or material is thus automatically fed into the pot, in order to eliminate the necessity for manually filling the pot. The only. attention required is the placing of the metal pigs in the guide 11.

The guide 11 and pig 12 moving with the pot is of advantage in that the starting 01 the machine with the melting pot cold will not result in a breakage of the machine or metal feeder. Thus, if the machine is started while the metal or material in the melting pot is solid or frozen, it will be noted that the Solid material in the guide 11 will move as an integral part of the material in the pot, thereby avoiding breakage.

I-Iavingthus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1- 1. The con'ibiin'ition with a'inovable melt-. ing pot, of means tor delivering solid material to the pot and controlled by the level of the lllOli'GlTDllttGlltLl in the pot, and means for supporting said means independently of the pot for movement with the pot and carrying the weight of the first named means and solid material independently of the pot and without subjecting the pot to such weight.

2. The combination with a fixed support and a movable melting pot, of means for delivering solid material downwardly into the pot and controlled by the level of the molten material in the pot, a connection between said means and pot to move said means with the pot, and means for supporting the firstnamed means on the fixed support for movement with .the pot and to carry the weight of the firstnamed means and solid material from the fixed support independently of the pot and without subjecting the pot to such weight.

3. The combination with a fixed support and a movable melting pot, of a guide for delivering solid material downwardly into the pot, means controlling the downward movement of the solid material into the pot and controlled by the level of the molten material in the pot, means for mounting said 7 guide on the support for the movement of said guide with the pot, and a link connecting said guide and potior moving the guide with the pot.

4. The combination with a fixed support and a movable melting'pot, of means for delivering solid materialinto the pot movable with the pot and controlled by the level of the molten material in the pot, and a link connection between said means and support to movably support said means from the support independently of the pot and without subjecting the pot to the weight of said means and material. 7 p

5. The combination with a fixed support and a melting pot movable along a curvilinear line, of means for delivering solid material into the pot and controlled by the level of the molten material in the pot, a connection ,between said means and pot for moving said means with the pot, and parallel links having parallelogram motion and con necting said means with the support for the curvilinear movement of said means corresponding to the movement of the pot and supporting said means from the fixed support independently of the pot and without subjecting the pot to the weight of said means and material. f

6. The combination with a fixed support and a melting pot having a curvilinear movement, of a guide for delivering solid material downwardly into the pot, a connec tion between said guide and support ineluding parallel links supporting the guide from the support for the curvilinear movement of the guide corresponding to the movement of the pot, means controlling the movement of the solid material from the guide into the pot controlled by the level 15 of the molten material in the pot, and a link connecting said guide and pot for moving the guide with the pot.

In testimony whereof we hereunto zillix our signatures.

BENJAMIN R. TURNER. ROBERT L. HIGGINBOTHAM. 

